Variation and distribution of metals and metalloids in soil/ash mixtures from Agbogbloshie e-waste recycling site in Accra, Ghana

Itai, Takaaki; Otsuka, Masanari; Asante, Kwadwo Ansong; Muto, Mamoru; Opoku-Ankomah, Yaw; Ansa-Asare, O.D.; Tanabe, Shinsuke

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.10.037

Cited by 60 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…The average Hg concentration in the present study exceeded most of the reported levels, but was lower than those reported from the e-waste recycling site in Bangalore, India (Ha et al 2009) and the large-scale gold recovery plants and simple household e-waste recycling workshops in Wenling, China (Tang et al 2010b). The mean level of Cr in the present study was less than most of the reported areas, excluding Taizhou, China (Zhang and Hang 2009), Agbogbloshie, Ghana (Itai et al 2014), an acid leaching area in Guiyu, China (Quan et al 2015) and the e-waste recycling facility in Bangalore, India (Ha et al 2009). Mean concentrations of Ni and Pb in the present study were found to be lower than most other reported levels, whereas Cu, Zn and Cd levels were significantly lower than rest of the areas given in the table.…”

Section: Distribution Of Metals In Soilscontrasting

confidence: 69%

Levels and ecological risk assessment of metals in soils from a typical e-waste recycling region in southeast China

Zhao

Ding

et al. 2015

Ecotoxicology

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Due to the high threat to human health and the ecosystem from metals, the levels and distribution of As, Hg, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Mn, V, Sn, Sb, Li and Be in various layers of soil from an e-waste recycling area in Guiyu, China were investigated. The extent of pollution from the metals in soil was assessed using enrichment factors (EFs) and the Nemerow pollution index (P N ). To determine the metals' integrated potential ecological risks, the potential ecological risk index (RI) was chosen. The concentrations of Hg, Ni, Cu, Cd, Pb, Sn and Sb were mainly enriched in the topsoil. EF values (2-5) of the elements Hg, Co, Ni, Zn, Sn, Li and Be revealed their moderate enrichment status in the topsoil, derived from e-waste recycling activities. P N presented a decreasing trend in different layers in the order topsoil (0-20 cm) > deep soil (100-150 cm) > middle soil (50-100 cm) > shallow soil (20-50 cm). With higher potential ecological risk factor (E(i)), Hg and Cd are the main contributors to the potential ecological risk. With respect to the RI, all the values in soil from the study area exceeded 300, especially for the soil at sites S2, S4, S5, S7 and S8, where RI was greater than 600. Therefore, immediate remediation of the contaminated soil is necessary to prevent the release of metals and potential ecological harm.

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Section: Distribution Of Metals In Soilscontrasting

confidence: 69%

Levels and ecological risk assessment of metals in soils from a typical e-waste recycling region in southeast China

Zhao

Ding

et al. 2015

Ecotoxicology

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“…While there are reasons to believe that workers at Agbogbloshie are being exposed to elevated levels of several toxic elements (i.e., studies documenting high levels in the water, soil, and sediment; Otsuka et al, 2012; Atiemo et al, 2012; Brigden et al, 2008; Chama et al, 2014; Asante, 2012; Itai et al, 2014) there is little empirical evidence of this. The study by Asante et al (2012) on 20 male workers at Agbogbloshie established that toxic metal exposures occur, though this work was limited by a relatively low sample size, a single biomarker studied, and lack of key socio-demographic and occupational characteristics.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many of the elements we studied have been previously measured in the Agbogbloshie ecosystem (Otsuka et al, 2012; Atiemo et al, 2012; Brigden et al, 2008; Chama et al, 2014; Asante, 2012; Itai et al, 2014). We are not aware of a dataset that provides reference range values of these studied elements from the ‘typical’ Ghanaian (or African) population.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At Agbogbloshie, toxic elements arising from the electronic items that are processed, including (but not limited to) arsenic, lead, mercury and copper, have been found in soil, water, ash, sediment and dust collected from the site (Otsuka et al, 2012; Atiemo et al, 2012; Brigden et al, 2008; Chama et al, 2014; Itai et al, 2014). The area is thus characteristic of a toxic waste site, and while a number of relevant human exposure pathways exist little is known about exposure of workers and community residents to these elements.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Multiple elemental exposures amongst workers at the Agbogbloshie electronic waste (e-waste) site in Ghana

et al. 2016

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Electronic waste (e-waste) recycling is growing worldwide and raising a number of environmental health concerns. One of the largest e-waste sites is Agbogbloshie (Ghana). While several toxic elements have been reported in Agbogbloshie’s environment, there is limited knowledge of human exposures there. The objectives of this study were to characterize exposures to several essential (copper, iron, manganese, selenium, zinc) and toxic (arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, mercury, nickel, lead) elements in the urine and blood of male workers (n=58) at Agbogbloshie, as well as females (n=11) working in activities that serve the site, and to relate these exposures to sociodemographic and occupational characteristics. The median number of years worked at the site was 5, and the average worker indicated being active in 6.8 tasks (of 9 key e-waste job categories). Additionally, we categorized four main e-waste activities (in brackets % of population self-reported main activity): dealing (22.4%), sorting (24.1%), dismantling (50%), and burning (3.4%) e-waste materials. Many blood and urinary elements (including essential ones) were within biomonitoring reference ranges. However, blood cadmium (1.2 ug/L median) and lead (6.4 ug/dl; 67% above U.S. CDC/NIOSH reference level), and urinary arsenic (38.3 ug/L; 39% above U.S. ATSDR value) levels were elevated compared to background populations elsewhere. Workers who burned e-waste tended to have the highest biomarker levels. The findings of this study contribute to a growing body of work at Agbogbloshie (and elsewhere) to document that individuals working within e-waste sites are exposed to a number of toxic elements, some at potentially concerning levels.

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“…Some of these equipment end up in informal recycling sites where primitive recycling methods, such as the open burning of cables, fridge, and television casings, are performed, exposing the environment and entire communities to pollution [5]. Contamination of the environment due to uncontrolled e-waste recycling has been reported in Ghana and particularly Ghana’s largest e-waste recycling area Agbogbloshie [6-10]. The contamination of the environment is driven by increased quantities of electrical e-waste in Ghana, which have created avenues and opportunities for individuals to make a living by using unconventional, primitive, and crude recycling methods to recover precious and valuable metals from e-waste.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial assessment of soil contamination by heavy metals from informal electronic waste recycling in Agbogbloshie, Ghana

Kyere

Greve

Atiemo

2016

Environ Health Toxicol

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ObjectivesThis study examined the spatial distribution and the extent of soil contamination by heavy metals resulting from primitive, unconventional informal electronic waste recycling in the Agbogbloshie e-waste processing site (AEPS) in Ghana.MethodsA total of 132 samples were collected at 100 m intervals, with a handheld global position system used in taking the location data of the soil sample points. Observing all procedural and quality assurance measures, the samples were analyzed for barium (Ba), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn), using X-ray fluorescence. Using environmental risk indices of contamination factor and degree of contamination (Cdeg), we analyzed the individual contribution of each heavy metal contamination and the overall Cdeg. We further used geostatistical techniques of spatial autocorrelation and variability to examine spatial distribution and extent of heavy metal contamination.ResultsResults from soil analysis showed that heavy metal concentrations were significantly higher than the Canadian Environmental Protection Agency and Dutch environmental standards. In an increasing order, Pb>Cd>Hg>Cu>Zn>Cr>Co>Ba>Ni contributed significantly to the overall Cdeg. Contamination was highest in the main working areas of burning and dismantling sites, indicating the influence of recycling activities. Geostatistical analysis also revealed that heavy metal contamination spreads beyond the main working areas to residential, recreational, farming, and commercial areas.ConclusionsOur results show that the studied heavy metals are ubiquitous within AEPS and the significantly high concentration of these metals reflect the contamination factor and Cdeg, indicating soil contamination in AEPS with the nine heavy metals studied.

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Variation and distribution of metals and metalloids in soil/ash mixtures from Agbogbloshie e-waste recycling site in Accra, Ghana

Cited by 60 publications

References 21 publications

Levels and ecological risk assessment of metals in soils from a typical e-waste recycling region in southeast China

Levels and ecological risk assessment of metals in soils from a typical e-waste recycling region in southeast China

Multiple elemental exposures amongst workers at the Agbogbloshie electronic waste (e-waste) site in Ghana

Spatial assessment of soil contamination by heavy metals from informal electronic waste recycling in Agbogbloshie, Ghana

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